Moulding machines



Dec. 13, 1955 s. w, DUN 2,726,429

MOULDING MACHINES Filed Dec. 26 1951 FIG].

IIII/IIIIA' FOP/157$.

United States Patent G MOULDING MACHINES Samuel W. Duncan, Godfrey,Ill., assignor to Duncan Foundry and Machine Works, Inc., Alton, 11]., acorporation of Illinois This invention relates generally to mouldingmachines, and particularly to machines for the preparation of sandmoulds.

In foundry operations, where sand moulds are produced in a flask frompatterns, it is common practice to jolt the flask containing the sandand then to squeeze the sand about a pattern interposed between the copeand the drag of the flask. Unitary machines are available, having upperand lower pressure members, the latter being arranged to operate notonly as a jolting table but also to squeeze a mould against the reactionof the upper pressure member. One conventional type of such a machineembodies an arrangement for gripping the cope and drawing it verticallyaway from the pattern and drag; and the machine is also provided with anarrangement for laterally shifting the position of the elevated cope soas to free the upper surface (i. e., the parting line) of the drag,

thus permitting ready removal of pattern, and whatever handwork isrequired upon the impression made by the pattern in the sand within thedrag.

With machines of the character last mentioned, the drawn cope issuspended beside the dragwhich rests on the lower pressure member. Inthe suspended position of the cope, the impression made by the patternin the sand thereof is on the down side. Such disposition of the mouldcavity in the cope renders it inconvenient to inspect or do handworkupon that cavity or insert preformed core pieces therein, andconsequently foundry hands are inclined to be less accurate in theplacement of core pieces, and less careful about their inspection andmanual correction of imperfections, in the mould cavity in the suspendedcope than they are with the corresponding operations upon the mouldcavity of the drag. I have reasoned that the relatively higher ratio ofimperfections in the mould cavities of the cope is attributable to the,

fact that to inspect it the foundry hand must squat down and look up atthe cavity in the suspended position of the cope, and does his handworkoverhead; Whereas, in the case of the drag, the mould cavity is facingupwardly and is conveniently situated for examination and correction. Itis, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a machineof the character aforesaid wherein the mould surface of the suspendedflask part may be readily turned so as to face horizontally or upwardly.

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art when thefollowing description is read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a moulding machine embodyingthe present invention and shown with the complete flask at rest upon thelower pressure member of the machine;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the machine shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail view in front elevation showing the flask and theparts for engaging the cope to draw it, but in disengaged position;

Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 3, but shows the parts inengaged position;

2,726,429 Patented Dec. 13, 1955 Figure 5 is another view correspondingto Figures 3 and 4, but showing the cope elevated above the drawing;

Figure 6 is a view in the same elevation as Figures 3, 4, and 5, butshowing the elevated cope in laterally shifted position;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the cope-engaging element of thepresent invention; and

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Figure 4.

Generally stated, the present invention contemplates that a mouldingmachine of the character generally described above has its upperpressure member provided with cope-engaging means of a character such asto provide a substantially horizontal axis by which the cope may beturned when suspended. Preferably, such horizontal axis is disposed soas to pass adjacent the center of gravity of the cope with its containedmould. From the practical standpoint, such adjacence to the center ofgravity need not, and seldom will, be precise, for the reason that thesame cope may be used for confining bodies of sand Whose mould cavitiesdifler from time to time. For general purposes, it is sutficient thatthe axis of horizontal rotation provided by the parts aforesaid bethrough the body of sand contained within the cope; but it will beunderstood that, where a given cope is to be used over and over againwith the same pattern, it is preferable that such horizontal axis ofrotation pass as nearly as possible through the center of gravity ofthat I particular mould half.

In the accompanying drawings, the improvement of the present inventionis illustrated in association with a conventional moulding machine ofthe character having a lower pressure member 1, which constitutes notonly a work table but a jolting table and a means for squeezing themould against an upper pressure member 2. The lower pressure member 1 ismovable, under a force applied through a fluid pressure system, betweenthe lowermost position shown in Figures 1 and 2 to an elevated position(relatively close to the upper pressure member 2) shown in Figures 3 and4.

The upper pressure member 2 is mounted upon an arm 3 for rotation by avertical spindle 4 for an amplitude of at least from the position shownin Figure l to the position shown in Figure 6. If desired, and as shown,the upper pressure member 2 may be interconnected with the arm 3 througha column 5 which is slideably received within a boss 6 and arranged formanual adjustment in the vertical direction.

The machine is also equipped with a pair of lifting arms 7, one on eachside of the lower pressure member 1. The arms 7 are mounted upon a shaft8 and provided at their outer extremities with concavities 9 forengagement with trunnions on the flask later to be described. The arms 7are arranged to rotate with shaft 8 in -the clockwise direction from theposition shown in Figure 2 through anamplitude suflicient to lift aflask above lower pressure member 1 and permit it to be turned over.

The moulding flask consists of a cope 11 and a drag 12, each provided atboth ends thereof with half turnnions 13 proportioned to interfit withconcavities 9.

The parts of the machine just described are conventional, and per seconstitute no part of the present invention.

The present invention contemplates that the upper pressure member 2 beequipped with a .pair of copeengaging elements, each having a spindle 15proportioned to interfit with hole 17 in a bracket 16, one at each endof the cope 11. In the embodiment shown, the members 14 are slideable(Within limits) in the vertical direction within a box 18 and the box ispivoted at 19 to a bracket 20 carried by the upper pressure member 2. Apair of links 21 extends from the boxes 18. to a horizontalreciprocablev part 22. The part 22 is actuated in any suitable mannersuch, for example, as by fluid pressure or electromagnetic means, so asto move the boxes 18 about pivots 19, between the position shown inFigure 1 and the position shown in Figure 4. In the former position, themembers 14 extend in a direction so as to clear the brackets 16 and allother parts of the flask. In the latter position, the members 14 areurged in a direction tending to cause the spindles 15 to engage withapertures 17 in brackets 16. When thus engaged, and with the lowerpressure member 1 elevated as shown in Figure 4, the lower pressuremember 1 may be dropped to the position shown in Figure 1 to draw thecope 11 from drag 12 as shown in Figure 5. Rectilinear relative movementduring the drawing operation is assured by the conventional dowelsinterconnecting the cope and the drag. After the cope has been thusdrawn, arm 3 may be rotated to the position shown in Figure 6, carryingthe suspended cope 11 with it to a position laterally aside the drag 12.When in this position, the cope 11 maybe rotated about the axis definedby spindles 15 within apertures 17 as shown by the arrow in Figure 6until the surface of the cope, which had previously faced down, is facedtoward the workman, and oriented at the angle which best suits him.Usually, the position is about vertical or therebeyond to a position onthe other side of vertical from that shown in dotted lines. In thisrotated position, the mould cavity in the cope is exposed for easyinspection, and positioned so asto facilitate the placement and nailingof core pieces and manual correction of defects therein. Consequently,better moulds are produced, and more accurate castings result.

While the cope is suspended beside the drag, the pattern 36 may beremoved from the drag.

The relative sliding movement between members 14 and box 18 is importantfrom the standpoint of minimizing the skill which is required inelevating lower pressure member 1 to a position whereat the parts 15 and17 may engage. If, in processof such elevation, the flask is movedhigher than necessary, and the lower ends of members 14 engagetrunnions' 13, the members 14 are quite free to move upwardly andconsequently no damage is done to the fouling parts. When the member 1is then lowered, the spindles 15 under the bias of plungers 22 are urgedinto the apertures 17 so as to effect connection between the upperpressure member 2 and the cope 11.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art should readilyunderstand the construction, operation, and advantages of the presentinvention and realize that it enables the drawn cope to be readilyturned into a position whereat its mould surface may be criticallyexamined and operated upon without discomfort or handicap to thepersonnel. Of special significance is the improved accuracy of placementand ease of securing the core parts. While one complete embodiment ofthe invention has been disclosed in detail, it is not to be understoodthat the invention is limited to that embodiment, nor is it limited tothe particular moulding machine with which the invention has been shownin association. It is to be distinctly understood that suchmodifications and variations of the structure disclosed as presentthemselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritof the invention are, although not specifically described herein,contemplated by and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a moulding machine of the character having upper and lowerpressure members relatively movable to compress a cope and drag betweenthem, and means on the upper pressure member for engaging the cope todraw the same from a pattern, the improvement which comprises, saidmeans and cope including relatively rotatable engageable parts having,when engaged, an horizontal axis of rotation, said axis being locatedadjacent the center of gravity of the cope.

2. In a moulding machine of the character having upper and lowerpressure members relatively movable to compress a cope and drag betweenthem, said upper pressure member being mounted to swing about a verticalaxis displaced from the pressure members, and means on the upperpressure member for engaging the cope to draw the same from a pattern,the improvement which comprises, said cope having at each end thereof amember having a socket, said sockets being horizontally aligned andbeing located near the center of said ends of the cope, and said upperpressure member having at each end thereof a spindle member arranged toremovably interfit with said sockets and provide an horizontal axis ofrotation for said cope.

3. In a moulding machine of the character having upper and lowerpressure members relatively movable to compress a cope and drag betweenthem, and means on the upper pressure member for engaging the cope todraw the same from a pattern, the improvement which comprises, said copehaving at each end thereof a member having a socket, said sockets beinghorizontally aligned and being located near the center of said ends ofthe cope, and said upper pressure member having at each end thereof aspindle member arranged to removably interfit with said sockets andprovide a horizontal axis of rotation for said cope; and means on theupper pressure member to move said spindle members into and out of saidsockets.

4. In a moulding machine of the character having upper and lowerpressure members relatively movable to compress a cope and drag betweenthem, and means on the upper pressure member for engaging the cope todraw the same from a pattern, the improvement which comprises, said copehaving at each end thereof a member having a socket, said sockets beinghorizontally aligned and being located near the center of said ends ofthe cope, and said upper pressure member having at each end thereof aspindle member arranged to removably interfit with said sockets andprovide an horizontal axis of rotation for said cope, said spindlemembers depending substantially below said upper pressure member andbeing movable vertically toward said upper pressure member.

5. In a moulding machine of the character having a vertically movableupper pressure member, and means for supporting a cope and dragtherebetween; the imrovement which comprises said cope having at eachend thereof a member forming a socket, said sockets being horizontallyaligned and being located near the center of said ends of the cope, andsaid upper pressure member carrying at each end thereof a spindle memberarranged to removably interfit with said sockets and provide ahorizontal axis of rotation for said cope, and a lost-motion connectionbetween said spindle members and said upper pressure member, whereby thespindle members retract upon downward movement of the pressure member topermit compression of the sand and drop upon upward movement of thepressure member to clear the cope for rotation beneath said pressuremember about said horizontal axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS798,675 Hall Sept. 5, 1905 1,221,266 Aeschbach Apr. 3, 1917 1,666,963Germer et al. Apr. 24, 1928 2,012,478 Oyster Aug. 27, 1935 2,623,252Miller Dec. 30, 1952

